The Gold Rush miners are back with a vengeance. Last mining season, father-son team Jack and Todd Hoffman sold everything they owned that wasn't nailed down in order to fund their dream of striking it rich mining for gold in Alaska. That dream didn't quite pan out so this mining season, the pair sold everything that was nailed down to give it another go. With enough funding to get them going, they headed north to Porcupine Creek, Alaska to settle unfinished business and to find the gold at the bottom of the glory hole. But unforeseen circumstances leave them to come up with a new plan in order to salvage their season.

Ep. 1) Twist of Fate: The Hoffmans have to find gold and fast. The crew arrives in Porcupine Creek reinvigorated and in record time, they are on the gold. But just they celebrate their best clean out ever, "Dakota Fred" returns and drops a bombshell on Todd, Jack and crew.

Ep. 2) Virgin Ground: The Hoffman crew heads north to the Klondike in a desperate bid to find a new claim and salvage their mining season. 16 year old Parker Schnabel takes over the Big Nugget Mine, while Dakota Fred fills in holes at Porcupine Creek.

Ep. 3) Family Feud: Jack and Todd go head to head over how to set up their new claim. At Porcupine Creek, Dakota Fred rips out the wash plant and finds gold that he forced the Hoffmans to leave behind. At Big Nugget mine, Parker continues to hit pay dirt.

Ep. 4) Slippery Slope: The Hoffman crew confronts the permafrost that lies between them and the gold. As the Dakota Boys set up their new wash plant, Fred pushes his son too hard and Dustin storms off. Parker faces a breakdown that leaves his mining season at a stand still.

Ep. 5) Drill or Die: A crew rebellion forces Todd Hoffman to dig test holes on the claim. The tension mounts as they wait to see if they're sitting on a gold-rich paystreak or about to go bust. Then, Fred is forced to abandon mining as floods in North Dakota destroy his home.

Ep. 6) Lovestruck: The Hoffmans are finally on the gold, but a new love threatens to derail mechanic James Harness right when the crew needs him most. Desperate for pay dirt, Parker bulldozes a dangerous road up the side of a mountain and Fred returns to Porcupine Creek.

Ep. 7) Gold at Last: The Hoffmans realize they could be losing thousands of dollars of gold out of the end of their sluices and they are forced to tear apart the washplant and rebuild. At Smith Creek, Parker turns into a lumberjack to get to his gold.

Ep. 8) On the Gold: With the wash plant prepped, the Hoffman crew finally has their first clean-out of the season. Pressure mounts at Big Nugget where Parker is forced to run his grandfather's safety dirt. But when John decides to shut the wash plant down, Parker explodes.

Ep. 9) Dead in the Water: Jack Hoffman's precious excavator gets stranded in the creek and requires emergency surgery in the wilderness. Meanwhile, the crew fine-tunes their wash plant which doubles their efficiency at finding gold. Parker does the work of two men until an argument with his mother threatens to shut him down.

Ep. 10) Twenty Four Seven: Short on time, the Hoffman Crew decides to run night and day in a struggle to get to the gold, while a federal mining inspector pays a surprise visit to both Fred and Parker. The inspector finds safety violations and both operations face closure.

Ep. 11) Rock Bottom: The Hoffman crew is dead in the water until Harness can repair their broken excavator. Parker Schnabel totals his gold for the season and hands the Big Nugget mine back to his grandpa. Meanwhile, the Dakota boys lock horns trying to re-open their mine.

Ep. 13) Man Down: A heart attack has 91 year-old mining legend John Schnabel battling for for his life. The Hoffmans find a gold nugget that becomes a game-changer and Dakota Fred accomplishes what Jack Hoffman never managed to do at Porcupine creek.

Ep. 14) In the Black: The Hoffman crew risks its all to run through the night in a bid to finally break even for the season. Fred has to abandon his best paydirt yet when his excavator gets stuck in the pit. John Schnabel returns to the Big Nugget Mine after his heart attack.

Ep. 15) Frozen Out: The Hoffman crew battles frozen dirt and frozen pipes as they struggle to hit their goal of 100oz. Parker makes a last ditch effort at Smith Creek Hill and the Dakota Boy's season may be over when Dustin smashes the side of the washplant.

Ep. 16) Judgment Day: The Hoffman crew is desperate to get 100 ounces, but Todd's decision to run the dozer on solid ice ends in disaster. The Big Nugget mine faces closure if Parker fails to hit a pay streak and Dakota Fred thinks he's finally found Jack Hoffman's glory hole.

Todd and company still don't have a complete idea about what they want to do. James Harness was disappointing and let the crew down by taking off. I also enjoyed the 'Revelations' part because it showed how Todd worked in the off-season.

Gold Rush shows that men can overcome great odds and still keep faith in themselves and their fellow man. This is a show that I would use to show my children how to succeed in life.This show is about the great American dream.

Purchased for my husband. Recorded all the espisodes in case we weren't home. Purchased the DVD so that he can watch whenever he wants too. He is interested in panning for gold and really enjoys watching the guys through all their struggles.